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featuring AMA President-elect Dr. Nancy Nielsen.
This 5-minute audio segment outlines the AMA's concerns for seniors, baby boomers and military families if the cut occurs this July as planned, and discusses an important legislative solution — the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S. 2785).
For immediate release
April 1, 2008
Washington, D.C. — Physicians from across the nation are in Washington, D.C. this week to make a 'House Call' on Congress to save seniors' access to health care. In town for the AMA's National Advocacy Conference, the physicians are urging Congress to take immediate action to stop steep Medicare physician payment cuts that will force them to make tough practice decisions.
"This July, Medicare will automatically cut payments to physicians well below increasing medical practice costs, and 60 percent of physicians say this cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat," said AMA President-elect Nancy Nielsen, MD. "Immediate congressional action is critical to preserve seniors' access to care."
On Wednesday, AMA physicians will attend a rally and visit with their members of Congress to call for support of the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S. 2785). The legislation, recently introduced by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), would replace 18 months of Medicare physician payment cuts that begin this July with updates that better reflect medical practice cost increases. The AMA, along with its colleagues in the state and specialty medical societies, sent a letter to the full Senate last Friday in support of the bill, and called on senators to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation.
"The Medicare cuts have a far-reaching impact as the first wave of baby boomers will hit Medicare age in three years," said Dr. Nielsen. "A recent poll found that eight out of 10 Americans are concerned that the Medicare cuts will harm access to care for seniors and baby boomers, and nearly three-quarters of Americans want Congress to act."
Military families are also at risk as the government will automatically cut physician payment rates in TRICARE, the government's health insurance for military families. The Military Coalition, which represents more than 5.5 million members, recently sent a letter to Congress calling for support of S. 2785 that said 'when our service members are sent in harm's way, the last thing they should have to worry about is whether their families will be able to find a TRICARE doctor.'
"Physicians are committed to caring for our seniors and military families, but Medicare and TRICARE cuts will make it very difficult for many physicians to care for these patients," lamented Dr. Nielsen.
"It's not just access to care that suffers because of the Medicare cuts," said Dr. Nielsen. "The cuts also make it difficult for physicians to make quality investments. More than two-thirds of physicians tell the AMA the cut will force them to defer purchases of information technology this year. The cuts can also have a larger economic impact as more than half the physicians surveyed by the AMA said that they could not meet their current payroll with a 10 percent Medicare payment cut and would be forced to reduce their staff."
"Congressional action is the key to preserving seniors' access to care, and that's why physicians from Alaska to New York have taken time away from their medical practices and their families to make a House Call on Congress," said Dr. Nielsen.
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Katherine M. Hatwell
Senior Public Information Officer
AMA Media Relations
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